brigit's garden, connemara

Brigit's Garden is located near Rosscahill in Connemara. It features a celtic garden & nature walk. The celtic garden is divided into spring, summer, autumn & winter themed gardens; imbolc, bealtaine, lughnasa & samhain. It has an emphasis on native plants and plants with celtic symbolism.

samhain

imbolc

imbolc

imbolc

imbolc

st bridget's cross

roundhouse

bealtaine

bealtaine

bealtaine

lughnasa

bealtaine

doneraile wildlife park

While on a visit to friends in the rebel county we took a rainy stroll through Doneraile Wildlife Park. It has some fine mature trees and riverside walk. 

lonicera pileata bonsai

This Lonicera pileata is quick to grow and has some nice bark. It is from a nursery stock plant, about 2 years old, which has developed a nice trunk and roots. I cut it quite hard in June and just want to tidy it now and allow it the rest of the summer to grow. I might pinch a bit in mid to late autumn but don't want to weaken it too much going into winter.

growth since late june

pruning in early august

potato harvest

I decided to dig out the British Queens and see what the crop was like. I was quite happy with the yield and nature of the crop. There were some greenish potatoes; the weed block did allow some light through. There may have been a bigger crop if I could have earthed up the plants, but they were weed free and very clean. Next will be the Sarpo Mira in a few weeks time.

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panorama

view from entrance early august 2013

biomass

The willow cuttings taken in March have rooted well and I took a chance to pot up. Generally this is not recommended in August but it proved no problem for these guys.

Meanwhile the willows planted out as bare-rooted plants also in March are going well. Both varieties seem to have made comparable growth so far. They should make another bit of growth before the autumn and I'll think about rooting some of the stronger performer then.

garden in early august

tunnel in early august

Just a glimpse of the tunnel in early august.

pumpkins

pumpkins and butternut squash

peppers

tunnel

tomato gardeners delight

aubergines doing better than expected

courgette

hawthorn

I'm trying to make this hawthorn in a windswept style. It has made a lot of growth since some styling in the winter. For the rest of the growing season I'll do a bit of  'clip and grow'.

before pruning

inspiration

after cutting